I can't roast a duck worth crap

[theHandpuppet]

I've had delicious roast duck in my day but I can't seem to get the hang of roasting a duck that doesn't turn out to resemble grease jello. Horrible! How in the world can I do this properly? Duck is expensive here and I can't afford a bunch of failed experiments.

[pscot]

1. Gormy cuss has the answer

at the link. http://www.democraticunderground.com/11578700

[opiate69]

2. Gotta go with A. B.

http://m.

[Warpy]

3. Duck is great, the meat bastes itself

All you need to do is season the skin and poke the top of a knife into it here and there to allow the huge amount of fat to render out. Put the duck onto a rack in a medium oven.

After the 20 minutes of cooking, be sure to pour the duck fat out of the pan for the first batch that will not be browned. Save it, it's pure gold for frying things like potatoes. 20 minutes later, check again, and pour out any browned duck fat that has accumulated. That's good stuff, too, and lends a great flavor to stir fries and sautees.

Then just roast that duck to its per pound, cookbook end point. It should come out with a crackly crisp skin and dark, flavorful meat.

You can put orange marmalade onto the duck skin but I find that gilding the lily a bit. Duck loves both sweet and savory sides. I loved serving a dried fruit and nut rice pilaf with it, it complimented the flavor nicely. Veg were whatever was fresh and in season.

I've made soup from the bones and any leftover skin. You can make an adequate red wine pan gravy but I'm not fond of it with duck. I've also had duck quesadillas at the local Pueblo restaurant and it was wonderful.

I'm planning to do duck once this winter, as much for the rendered fat as the duck, itself, once it's cooled down enough that I can turn on the oven.

Duck was actually one of those things I did right the first time. I think I had Julia Child's cookbook to guide me. However, once you render the fat completely, it's just a matter of cooking it the rest of the way and not overcooking it. Just pierce that skin all over the ducky and you'll be on your way.

[msanthrope]

4. Like goose, you want to remove all excess fat at the neck and the butt. Then you want to slash

the skin, so that the grease can render out. During cooking, you want to pour hot water over the bird once or twice, to wash away the grease. Let the water go to the bottom of the roasting pan.

If you like the breast rare, remember that the legs and thighs should not be.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Years ago a chef told me he roasts the duck for 15 minutes to a half hour at 500, then...

finishes roasting at 350. You don't want to completely eliminate the fat layer, but the high initial heat gets rid of the greasy part of it.

Duck, goose etc, btw, have a different sort of fat than other birds or mammals-- it's designed to help with buoyancy and insulation from heat loss in the water. Very little, if any, cholesterol and lots of good stuff in there.

[SeattleVet]

6. They do amazingly well on a rotisserie, on the grill.

Self-basting. Put a good drip pan of water below it to catch the fat and prevent flare-ups. The last one I did the leg bones slid out of the meat when I went to carve it.

In the oven, start with a high heat for the first 15-20 minutes then lower it; and keep a rack in the roasting pan to keep it elevated so the excess fat drips down. Add water in the bottom and it keeps the fat from burning if you are still on the high heat portion.

[dem in texas]

7. Only Cooked a duck once

All I can remember is plucking the duck, it took forever. My husband used to hunt and I was always up to cooking whatever game he brought home, deer, moose, caribou, quail, pheasant, dove, wild turkey, grouse, etc. But no more ducks! I do remember I looked in my Joy of Cooking for instructions on how to cook it

[Retrograde]

8. A rack for your roasting pan helps

That way, the fat can drip out of the duck, and the bird won't sit in its own fat. Otherwise, cook at high heat for about 15 minutes, then at ~350 for an hour or so. A meat thermometer is a good investment to help you not overcook it: take the duck out when the thermometer reads about 10 degrees less than the recommended temp, and let the heat carry-over finish cooking it. And let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving!

[theHandpuppet]

9. Yep, I used one.

However, I've read a few tips here I will use next time, like removing all the fat from the neck and butt and slicing the skin. I also like the idea of roasting the duck on high heat for a few minutes then reducing it down to 350. Some good suggestions, everyone. Thanks!